Afterthought
by ArcadiaArden
Summary: Post 3x02 – Simple one-shot set immediately after the episode ended. A warm dose of our favorite duo mixed with a little Jo, a little Bass and a sprinkle of Angela. T for minor language.


Rizzoli & Isles – I certainly don't own them. I give a lot of credit to the people that do and thank them for letting me mess about with them for a bit.

Usual editing warnings from me. I try... but it's not my strong point and since this was written and just posted it carries a red label warning ;)

* * *

Jane Rizzoli was certain of one thing as she opened her apartment door. It had been a long fucking day.

Or maybe she could be sure of two things because her shower was going to feel like nirvana. She dropped everything including the crumpled discharge paper from the hospital right on the floor by the door and slid down the wall to sit and let Jo Friday whine, lick and smell every inch of her.

"You know Jo, I'm starting to get a complex the way you keep sneezing every few seconds. If you'd wait until I took my shower I'd smell better." Wheat colored fur bounced along with a cheerfully waving tail until Jo reached Jane's face. "Oh my god Joe, your breath is more toxic than that water I was in. Good lord, what did you do? Eat my dirty gym socks?" Rolling all the way to the floor Jane tried burying her face in her arms. "Your nose is in my ear Jo." Jane tried pushing her off only to start laughing as Jo rebounded and attacked her ear with her tongue. "Ick! Jo, seriously, that is so inappropriate."

Still laughing, Jane slowly sat up. "I suppose you want to go out huh?" Watching the spastic joy bounding and rolling on the ground Jane got to her feet. "Alright already, you're going to give yourself a hernia if you keep that up." Picking the leash up off the hook by the door and grabbing her keys she made her way back outside. "Okay, listen dog, you have 5 minutes before we're going inside and you'll just have to cross your back legs while I take my shower."

Walking behind Jo as she toured every nook and cranny on the street Jane groaned. "Come on Jo, it's the same sidewalk crack that was there yesterday. It was also there the day before and probably all of last week. I'll let you write a letter to the municipal department if you just please get on with it already."

Waving to the Redmonds from upstairs as they headed to the front door, Jane tugged lightly on the leash. "You know what also just hit me Jo? I've been talking to you for the past half hour and not only am I having a conversation with a dog, I'm starting to believe it's not one sided." She rubbed a hand over her face. "I have to get out more. "

Jo started to pull her in earnest over to a streetlight pole and Jane tried pulling back to no avail. "Please Jo, I just need to shower and eat something. You can have the entire bag of Pupperoni in the treat cabinet if you just pee already."

Finally Jo went about her business and Jane trudged up the front steps. "You know Maura might be onto something with Bass. She has probably already showered and here I am, talking to you and praising you for pissing by a dumpster."

Opening the front door, Jane unclipped the leash and hung it back up on her way to finally get clean.

* * *

"Here honey, let me put this pillow under your leg." Angela slipped the cushion under Maura's leg. "I'm going to put the remote control right here beside you and I've made you some tea and put it in a travel mug so it will stay hot." She walked into the kitchen and came out with a plate. "I know you said you weren't hungry but I just put together some crackers and cheese. That pill bottle says you need to take it with food."

"Thank you Angela." Maura closed her eyes briefly as she finally settled back onto her couch. "I appreciate the help with getting back from the bathroom." She opened her eyes and turned to look at the plate of food and the mug of tea. "The tea was very thoughtful."

Angela studied the gauze pads and medical tape decorating Maura's leg. "I still can't believe Jane did that." She crossed her arms over her chest and rubbed her upper arm. "I also can't believe they let you walk out of there."

"There isn't anything more a hospital could do for me. They gave me an IV infusion of antibiotics, transfused me, debrided the wound with low intensity laser therapy and stitched me up. "Maura shifted against the dull throb in her lower leg. "Now there isn't anything to do but heal and watch for infection." She looked up at Angela watching her face shift and noticed her hands clutching her upper arms. "It will be okay, I promise."

Angela took a deep breath. "I still don't like it. I heard Jane telling Frankie that the water you were in was toxic." She sat tentatively down on the chair edge. "Are you sure neither of you got any in your mouth?"

Maura took a small sip of the tea and considered the bottle of pain pills as she felt her pulse throbbing up and down her leg. "I wasn't very coherent Angela. I can't be certain of anything. I do think Jane or I would have mouth ulcers if we actually ingested enough to cause us harm. You'd have to ask Jane to be sure but I believe Sergeant Korsak said the placement of the car deflected most of the outflow and the culvert wasn't filled."

"I keep thanking God that Vince decided to head after the two of you. I don't want to even think about the outcome if he hadn't been so close. I'm going to make him come to dinner this week so I can thank him." Angela studied Maura with a mother's eye. "You're still too pale. I don't like it. Why don't you at least take one of the pain pills, I can see you're hurting."

Maura sighed. "I'd rather not. I don't particularly like how they make me feel." She picked up the amber bottle and shook it. "I know for a fact it will make me nauseous and I'm just not up for feeling any worse than I do. The antibiotics are enough right now." She put the bottle back down. "Tramadol also makes me rather sleepy and I don't want to feel incoherent again. It will just make me tense."

Maura watched Angela rub the chair arms under her hands and decided to direct her rather than give her any more information that might increase her anxiety. "Angela, would you mind getting me the throw at the end of my bed? I think I just might sit here and enjoy the quiet for a bit. It's been such a long day." She could see the hesitation. "Really, I'm going to be okay. The phone is right here and you're just a call away. I promise I'll call you later and let you know how I'm doing but right now the best thing is rest."

Angela wanted to argue but Maura looked back at her steadily, unyielding and definite. Sighing, she went into Maura's bedroom and found the blanket. Returning to stand in front of Maura, she did one last assessment before giving in and carefully covering her. "Call me if you need anything okay? Promise me at least that."

Maura nodded. "Of course I will." She watched Angela leave, waving slightly when she turned around one last time before walking out. She picked up the travel mug and sipped the tea as she leaned back against the couch and closed her eyes.

* * *

"Jo, do you want to know what happens when the human procrastinates on doing things like food shopping?" Jane looked down at the terrier who was currently fixated on the fact the refrigerator was open. "They open their fridge up and see a lot of empty space."

She shut the refrigerator door and walked over to the sink where she had left the pill bottle. "It also means I won't be taking one of these pills until I can order something. It says right here on the side, take with food." Turning the bottle around she read the other tag "I'm also not allowed to stand out in direct sunlight. Oh goody, now I can work on becoming a vampire." Jane looked down and noticed Jo was missing. "Great, now I'm not only having entire conversations with a dog, I'm also starting to talk to myself."

Jane called into her living room "Way to be man's best friend there Jo. I'm all warm and fuzzy right now. Good to know I'm only good for food."

Filling a glass with water she walked into her living room and sat down next to Jo on the couch. "Since when did I start letting you up here all on your own?" Jo rolled over onto her back. Jane absently started rubbing her belly, tugging at the strands of fur. "I'm also starting to realize that you have me trained."

The phone ringing cut through her musing. Jane groaned while slowly getting to her feet, deciding that in addition to taking her antibiotic, she was going to take some aspirin with dinner. Picking up her landline she sighed at the caller ID before hitting talk. "Hey Ma what's up?"

Angela was standing by the window looking out at Maura's back door. "Your cell phone keeps going right to voicemail. I was worried you were sick."

Jane wandered back over to the couch and sat down. "Ma, remember my cell phone is in pieces right now. Busted, kaput, not going to take your calls." She propped her feet up on her coffee table. "But I'm fine. I have to figure out something for dinner and go food shopping tomorrow but considering everything I'm good. How's Maura?"

"She keeps telling me she is fine." Angela moved away from the window. "She even politely kicked me out and said she just needs rest but she looks so pale."

Jane sighed. "Yeah, I think she lost a lot of blood. The hospital wasn't going to keep her overnight but she did leave before they released her." Jane thought back to the hospital and the long wait with Korsak and Frost while Maura was getting her leg fixed. "She just made them bring her the AMA forms and tried to refuse a wheelchair. I swear doctors really are the worst patients."

Turning on her television, Angela tisked into the phone. "You're not so hot as a patient yourself missy. If Maura wasn't hurt as badly as she is I'd be over there making sure you took your antibiotic because you haven't yet, have you?"

"Ma! I'm taking the antibiotic as soon as I have dinner, really. Don't worry about me." Jane swung her legs up on the couch and rested against the arm. "Seriously, I'm not going to risk getting some weird infection. "

Scrolling through the channel guide, Angela finally settled on HGTV. "Well I'll know if you don't take it. A mother always knows. I'm just happy that you're talking to Maura again because if you don't listen to me, I can always count on her to make you see reason. "The program on her television showed a couple wandering through a house for sale. "Alright Jane, I'm going to let you go eat and I'm going to watch and see if this couple on TV can pick out a house. The host for this show is so handsome."

"Right Ma, enjoy the handsome host. I'm going to call and check up on Maura." Jane paused for a moment. "You think she'd be okay with that right?"

Angela put the television on mute. "Oh Janie, you have to let that fight go. Would she have minded you calling her before the fight?"

Jane put an arm over her eyes. "No, but before the fight I would have just stayed over."

Angela sighed. "Then just call her."

* * *

In addition to her pulsating leg Maura was starting to feel every bruise from the car crash. She tried to will herself into taking a pain pill but the thought of the nausea after was just too much. Chewing her lip she thought about trying to hobble into her bathroom and getting at least some ibuprofen but right now the distance was overwhelming. She picked up her phone and held it in her lap. Angela would be over in minute but then she'd have to convince her to leave again. Maura just closed her eyes.

The rhythmic thump and knocking of Bass made her open her eyes and smile. "Hey buddy, chasing the sunlight again?" Maura watched the tortoise in his single-minded pursuit of the warm rays of sun shining in from living room window. "You know, I think right now you'd actually beat me in a footrace." She shifted to her side to rub a hand along his shell as Bass made his way by the couch.

"I've been thinking Bass that we've got to work on your responsibilities around here." Maura watched as he finally reached the late afternoon patch of sun reflecting off the hardwood and stopped. "For example, right about now, if you were trained to retrieve I could have you go fetch me some water and a few ibuprofen." Other than the slow movement of his throat indicating he was breathing, Bass remained immobile.

She took a sip of the now tepid tea. "It's very quiet around here when it is just you and I." Absently she broke apart a cracker, watching the pieces get smaller and smaller. "How do you think Jane is fairing? Angela is over in the guest house and I'm here. Do you think she remembered to take her antibiotic without either of us?" Bass remained still, neck stretched out of his shell. "I should call and check up on her, just to make sure she took her pill."

Maura traced her finger lightly over the phone's keypad lost in thought. When the phone started ringing it startled her enough that she fumbled with it, watching it fall to the floor with a crack that caused Bass to stick his head into his shell. Leaning over she scrambled to retrieve it.

Quickly glancing at the caller ID she smiled and hit talk. "Hi Jane, I was just thinking about you."

Jane shifted the phone to rest between her ear and shoulder. "Good thoughts I hope." Jane took one of Jo's front paws and waived the limp limb back and forth as Jo snorted in contentment.

Carefully Maura moved the pillow under her leg down a bit so she could recline more. "I wanted to check and make sure you took your antibiotic."

Jane gave a short bark of laughter. "I swear you and my mother spend too much time together. No, I have not taken my pill yet, but I will. I just need to go out and get dinner first. There is literally nothing to eat around here." Jane started rubbing Jo's stomach again. "I also need some aspirin or something. I think I can feel every ding from that car crash right now."

"Jane, unless you have a headache aspirin isn't the right NSAID for that. Please use ibuprofen." Maura smoothed the blanket over her legs with her free hand.

Jane sighed. "Isn't all that stuff the same thing? I hurt, I take a pill and voila, I feel marginally better." She chewed at the side of her thumb.

Maura could hear Jane fussing over the phone. "No, they're not the same. Aspirin is actually unique in class as a Cox-1 irreversible inhibitor. It would work but it is better suited in my opinion to tension headaches. An ailment, I'd like to point out, that you are going to give me if you don't take your antibiotic."

Smiling, Jane pulled Jo onto her lap as she brought her legs up onto her couch. "I promise I'm going to take it as soon as I get dinner. Speaking of which, what are you having for dinner?"

Maura chewed her lip and realized she'd already paused too long in the conversation. "You're mother made me a plate of crackers and cheese, but food is not appetizing."

"Maura, I was there when they went over the medical advice you decided not to listen to remember? The nurse said that to take the pain pill you had to eat." Jane sat up. "Wait a second. You did take your pills Dr. Isles, right?"

The silence was all the answer Jane needed. "Never mind, we both need to eat, I'm going to come over and bring you dinner."

Maura flushed, glad Jane couldn't see her over the phone. "You don't have to go through the trouble, really, Jane. You just said you were in pain." She looked around her living room, thinking. "I have your mother right next door and I'm okay Jane. I'm used to handling a few cuts and bruises on my own."

Jane sighed, loud and intentional. "I know Maura, but I'm not."

Confused Maura thought for a moment. "You are not what Jane?"

"I'm not used to being by myself when I'm hurt. Do you remember what I had to go through to get even a minute away from my mother after the precinct shooting?" Jane carefully put Jo down before standing up. "So can't you just let me have the excuse that you need me? I don't want to be here alone."

Maura smiled and rejected various responses. Finally she settled on just a word. "Montien?"

Jane grinned and started collecting her wallet and keys. "Thai, good choice, the usual?"

"Yes and please bring Jo." Maura was about to say goodbye and hang up when she added a last thought. "And Jane? Do not forget to bring your antibiotic."

* * *

Jane tested Maura's front door and felt relief when it was locked. She slipped her key into the lock and opened the door, feeling Jo start to pull her forward in anticipation. "Give me a freakin' second Jo Friday, I have my arms filled." Closing the door behind her she put her bags on the ground and let Jo off her leash, watching the waiving tail bound ahead and disappear.

Arms loaded with bags Jane turned into the living room. Maura was on her couch, leaning over Jo, muttering to her as she returned the enthusiastic greeting. Still rubbing Jo's ears, she looked up at Jane with a smile. Her mother was right, Maura was still too pale.

"Just give me a minute and I'll plate up dinner." Jane crossed the room, putting her bags on the kitchen counter. "Do you need anything right now?"

Maura struggled to sit up more. "A bathroom run perhaps, I want to wash up before we eat."

Jane stopped pulling boxes out of the bag and walked over to Maura. She sat down beside her and grabbed Maura's arm and put it around her shoulder. "Come on then gimpy, let's call Bass over and we can race him to the bathroom."

Standing carefully with Jane, Maura snorted. "The sun has almost set Jane. Bass is unlikely to leave the laundry room for the rest of the night, but feel free to attempt to train him to come on command. I think I'd find that amusing at the very least."

Finishing their slow hobble to the bathroom, Jane noted Maura wasn't putting much pressure at all on her leg. "Okay so we'll have dinner the second you're out of the bathroom and then you're going to take a pain pill followed by your antibiotic and if you're a cooperative patient, I'll take my pill."

Maura leaned against the doorframe. "I'm not up to taking the Tramadol Jane. I just don't want the loopy, exhausted and nauseous feeling I get."

"Let's just try this once on a full stomach. I bet you're fun when you're loopy and it's almost bedtime so who cares if you get sleepy." Jane calmly waited while Maura seemed to be trying to find a loophole before she promised anything. "Deflection isn't going to work either here."

"Fine, one pill, but if I experience an episode of emesis I am going to blame you when I can't get to the bathroom in time." Maura quickly shut the door.

Jane chuckled at the closed door "I'll just bring you a throw up bucket like Ma did when we were kids." She cocked her head against the door, hearing something that sounded suspiciously French and by inflection, probably not a word Maura would ever let Jane use. "Not sure what you just said there Maura, but it didn't sound very ladylike." She jumped back when something hit the door and just laughed.

Leaning heavily on Jane, Maura made it back out to the couch, annoyed that the short trip had taken as long as it had and gritted her teeth against the increased pain up her leg. Jane had plates of food waiting on the coffee table and the smell made her realize how hungry she was. "I actually can't remember when I last ate a meal. I wasn't paying much attention lately between your case and trying to get rid of the morgue backup. It has been so busy lately."

"Well it's a good thing that I did come and push dinner on you then." Jane settled Maura on the couch before she carefully lifted Maura's legs and put them over her lap. "Just the food alone will probably do you a world of good. Though maybe I should have brought chicken soup or something, are you sure you're up to this?"

Maura picked up her plate and started to eat. "I thought it didn't matter if I was up to it or not. What was that you said earlier about a throw up bucket?"

"Eww… I'm eating." Jane watched Maura raise both eyebrows around a mouthful of food and wink. "Funny, cute, adorable, but go easy on the pad thai until you know it's going to stay where you put it." Jane picked up her own fork, eating while keeping an eye on Maura. "You know, I think we should promise that the next time we get in some sort of argument that we'll avoid the whole make up over a life threatening situation." Jane rubbed the uninjured leg in her lap. "Or at the very least we'll avoid situations that involve me having to cut you open."

Maura chewed thoughtfully. "Well I can't say that it will never happen again. I can't predict the future, but I'd say odds are in our favor that we won't have to go through field surgery again." She shook her head. "But then again, much of our existence is not congruent with statistical norms so I can't promise. How about I promise not to go actively seeking situations that require you to perform field surgery on me with broken shards of glass?"

Jane shrugged. "I'll take what I can get." She put her empty plate aside and carefully slid out from under Maura's legs. "Do you want seconds?"

Maura shook her head. "No, I think I'm full."

When Jane returned she had two large glasses of water and she handed one to Maura. "Okay it's time for dessert. On the menu is whatever is in our various bottles with a lovely water chaser." Maura frowned at her but accepted the glass. Jane could see the argument brewing. "And if you just swallow the damn pill already I might have picked up some red bean ice cream." That earned her a small smile.

The bitterness of the Tramadol was lingering on her tongue and Maura gratefully accepted the ice cream from Jane. "I'm telling you, if I start making mindless comments from that pill I don't want to hear about it tomorrow."

Jane gave her a wicked smile. "Fine you won't hear about it, I'll let you watch it on YouTube with Korsak and Frost."

Maura stabbed her spoon at Jane. "Try it Rizzoli and you'll find out how long it actually can be to get a tox report back."

Chuckling, Jane enjoyed the silence between them as she ate her dessert. "Do you want to watch a movie or something?"

"It's late for a movie. If we start one, are you able to stay? I can't promise the guest room is ready but you were the last one to use it." Maura twirled the last bite of ice cream around in her mouth.

"Yeah, I mean, you had me bring Jo so I'm good." Jane turned to look at Maura, trying to gauge if she was welcome to stay or if Maura was being polite.

Maura let out the breath she was holding and gave Jane a small smile. "Good, I'm glad you're here. I honestly didn't want to be alone. I've missed this." She gestured between them. "I mean I said I missed you, and god I really have. But I missed us too."

Jane smiled and nodded. "Me too." She stood up and gathered the last of the dishes and put everything away in the kitchen.

When she made her way back Jane noticed Maura fussing with the couch cushions at her back. "Here lean forward and let me help." Pulling the cushions up more she helped Maura lean back. "Any better?"

Maura squirmed trying to find better support against her lower back. "A bit, this just isn't comfortable. I think I've been sitting like this too long but I have to keep my leg up. The pillows leave a gap and it puts too much pressure against my lower back."

Thinking, Jane tapped her shoulder. "Sit up please."

Maura struggled to sit up until Jane placed her hand against her back and gently pushed her up, making just enough room to slip behind her.

Jane turned and slipped her leg between the back of the couch and Maura and brought the other one along the outside, carefully pulling Maura back between her legs. She put her inside arm around Maura's middle and pressured gently backward. "Relax, I'm a big girl, I can handle it."

Tentatively Maura leaned back and then let her breath out on a sigh, sinking into the warmth.

Feeling Maura relax against her, Jane responded in kind, finally feeling the tension seep away. She picked up the television remote and when the power came up, scrolled through the channel guide. "Oh look, there's a Golden Girls marathon running. How about we put that on until bedtime?"

Languidly, Maura glanced up at Jane's profile. "Okay, I love that show. Can you turn off the light though?" The pain in her leg was dull now and the pain pill pulled at the edges of her awareness. She breathed in the familiar scent of Jane and adjusted herself again, moving until she was on her good side. She slipped an arm behind Jane, angling her body to watch the show.

Switching the lamp off, Jane idly rubbed the stomach under her hand. "Is this okay? Are you comfortable enough?"

Maura sighed, content with her ear pressed against Jane's heartbeat. Sleep tugged at her eyelids as she nodded. "This is perfect."

**= The End =**

A/N - I swore I wasn't going to write a post 3x02 because I knew plenty of writers would do a much better job at it... but I couldn't resist. Hopefully it will give some of you a smile and you'll let me know what you thought of it :)


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